Samuel Welch-Featured Intern

Jennie-O, based in Wilmar, MN, is a recognized leader in the turkey industry for 70+ years. It is owned by Hormel Foods Corporation.  Jennie-O sells over 1,500+ products, distributes in 60+ countries, and employs nearly 7,000 people. 

As a supply chain intern, my role was being a part of monthly bids on lanes across the country sent to Jennie-O Turkey Store carriers.  During the biding process I analyzed current asset rates to states vs broker rates.  I sat in on meetings and on-boarding calls with carriers.  I watched and learned about team member roles on the transportation team, and gained an understanding of the responsibilities needed to transport Jennie-O Turkey Store products. It was critical for me to learn the skills needed to operate effectively in the Transportation department. 

My main intern project was around Transportation Pricing / Request for Proposal (RFP).  The project included investigating a point-to-point pricing application with Jennie-O’s top ten carriers, plus, state-to-city pricing vs state-to-state pricing(current), using one year’s worth of freight and researching past rates for different states, for each carrier. I analyzed freight spent to a potential costs/savings given a new point-to-point pricing application based on state-to-city pricing.

My goals and learning outcomes during this internship included understanding the vital process/steps taken from start to finish to get Jennie-O product to the customer; starting with production and ending with transportation.  I met key contacts in this field at Jennie-O and learned networks that are taking place within this field.  My internship was focused on Transportation. I needed to understand the beginning stage of the transportation process to the end stage. I learned about the critical roles and processes (individual and team) throughout the transportation team and how the team operates.  Everyday duties needed to be completed to reach desired results/goals in transportation.
Continued…

Being an intern for me was exciting because I was able to be apart of a lot of different tasks throughout the summer.  I connected with employees from many different departments, senior leadership, vice presidents, and the president of Jennie-O, all while working on an important project that could lead to positive change within this company.  It’s awesome to realize how many connections I actually made by the end of my time at Jennie-O, which also includes meeting the other interns and building long lasting friendships. During my time as an intern I have been able to learn about the many different opportunity's and career paths within the business field available to students after college.  This internship reinforced my career path and has given me more excitement about what comes after college.

My advice for UWRF students would be to understand the importance of getting experience in your field before you graduate. Don’t get discouraged during the application process even though it can be hard just keep working and perfecting your resume.  Think ahead and apply early for internships.  During an internship connect with everyone you can and enjoy the time you have and don’t be afraid to voice your own opinions and share your ideas for different projects or tasks.